Category: Pepco Page 1 of 5

Pepco crew performing clearing work

Pepco electric line clearance work will continue as Asplundh tree crews perform work in the Berwyn, Hollywood, Daniels Park and Oak Springs neighborhoods. Other neighborhoods where work is planned and may occur is Autoville, Crystal Springs and Patricia Court.

Power line clearance tree work along Albion Road will be occurring very soon this month (July). The tree pruning will be performed by Asplundh, PEPCO’s contracted tree company.

Click here for a map of the planned power line clearance work in Old Town, Lakeland, North College Park, Yarrow, Berwyn, College Park Estates, Berwyn, and Calvert Hills.

PEPCO is beginning to plan for routine tree work to maintain required clearance from the overhead electric lines to provide for reliable electric service and reduce outages caused by trees.

The PEPCO planners will be working in all City neighborhoods planning for line clearance work this year, beginning in The College Park Estates and Yarrow neighborhoods. All trees, including those on private property, growing near the electric power lines will be inspected by an arborist to determine what will need to be done, whether pruning will accomplish the required clearance or a tree removal may be needed. Pepco arborists will leave a door hanger with contact information if a tree on private property is planned for trimming or removal. Residents should respond directly to the planner with comments or questions related to the tree work planned for their privately owned tree.

The City will be working with PEPCO planners to review the tree work plan and approve or deny work planned on trees in the public right-of-way.

[City of College Park]

Pepco is suspending service disconnections and waiving new late payment charges at least until May 1 and will be working with customers on a case-by-case basis to establish payment arrangements and identify energy assistance options. Customers wishing to contact Pepco and enter into an installment plan can call them at 202-833-7500 and follow the prompts below on their automated system, or visit their website at www.pepco.com.

More information on Pepco’s services during the pandemic as well as Energy Assistance Programs for Maryland/Prince George’s County residents can be found here:

Yesterday, Pepco filed a request with the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) for approval to recover approximately $41.4 million for work done in 2017. Pepco said they’re seeking this hike in order “to enhance electric reliability, install modern equipment and meet the expectations of our customers.”

Based on today’s request, the typical Pepco residential customer in Maryland using 812 kilowatt hours per month would see a monthly bill increase of 4.18 percent increase, or about $5.14.

In a statement, Pepco said” Pepco has embraced the challenge of improving its systemwide reliability performance to meet more stringent standards set by the PSC and has made the appropriate investments. Pepco spent approximately $222.9 million in 2017 to maintain and improve the distribution system’s safety and reliability and improve customer service through projects such as replacing and improving aging equipment and installing advanced equipment to automatically identify and isolate issues and automatically restore
service to customers.”

Papeco claims that over the period of January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2017, Pepco’s Maryland customers have experienced a 46 percent reduction in average outage frequency and a 61 percent reduction in average outage duration.

Even with this proposed rate request, Pepco thinks that the typical residential customer bill would still be about 19 percent lower than it was in 2011, thanks to lower electricity supply costs, operating efficiencies and energy efficiency programs. Customers also are seeing quicker storm restorations because of the availability of additional utility resources.

Pepco also thinks that the recent tax-reform legislation will result in meaningfully lower tax costs for Pepco, and thus a lower cost of service that we will pass along to our customers in the form of rate reductions or offsets to
investments we are making or other costs we are incurring for the benefit of customers.

PEPCO is planning line clearance work in North College Park for a feeder coming out of the Beltsville substation; work will occur in the Northern Hollywood area and Sunnyside neighborhood.

Eight trees have been approved for removal at the following locations and are marked with a blue dot:

9801 49th Ave – Silver Maple 24” diameter. There is a large defect in the trunk as well as a hole in the trunk with a channel of decay extending down the trunk. There is significant dieback in the canopy, which has continued to develop since last year when the tree was pruned to remove deadwood. New canopies for schools are needed as replacement. This location is next to Hollywood Elementary School where many children are walking to school. The resident is aware of the planned removal and they are ok with it. A replacement tree will be installed.

4700 block Edgewood Rd – Note: there is a 69 kV line in this area, which requires increased clearance. Sweet Gum 15” at intersection of 47th Pl on north west corner at vacant parcel. Since this tree has been previously topped for line clearance, it has grown very bushy & is blocking the line of sight at the intersection and suckers are blocking the street light above, which will contribute to poor street lighting. Replacement tree approved. There is also a small 5” Black Cherry in this same area that is in poor health and many branches are blocking the street light above. Other trees along the north side of Edgewood Rd from 47th Pl to Route 1 will be pruned. The vegetation growing at the intersection of Route 1 will be cut down to improve visibility and clearance.

4809 Nantucket Rd – Red Maple 22” diameter. Evident trunk damage, very thin canopy with small leaves, & numerous dead branches. Tree branches in service drop lines to 2 homes. Replacement tree approved.

5100 Odessa Rd – Multi-stem Red Maple, which is shown as 3 trees on the map. The tree recently lost a large live limb, there is significant included bark, which will contribute to future limb loss. The resident has requested removal previously. Replacement tree approved

5110 Odessa Rd – Sweet Gum 22”. Significant canopy dieback and suckering along lower branches indicates decline of the tree. There is a large girdling, which may be contributing to the sucker growth. The tree is growing above the gas line. Replacement tree approved.

5108 Paducah Rd – Siberian Elm 19”. Visible dieback on all major limbs, which are overhanging service drop line to house. Replacement tree approved.

10102 51St Ave – Pin Oak 29” Significant canopy dieback, and decay observed in trunk. Recent construction in street and sidewalk likely affected root zone, which will contribute to continued tree decline. Replacement tree approved.

The map below shows the planned line clearance work. The trim (prune) areas indicated as a yellow line are secondary lines that require less clearance. The green trim (prune) lines are locations where the pruning will reflect the clearance based on the voltage.

Pepco customers will have an opportunity to save energy and money by reducing their electric use today, Thursday, July 13 from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.

An increased demand for electricity throughout the mid-Atlantic region is anticipated for July 13, 2017. No wonder people are buying backup generators. While the region’s power supply is expected to be sufficient to meet high demand, Pepco customers are encouraged to conserve energy and save money on the Peak Savings Day.

Pepco’s Maryland customers are offered the opportunity to earn bill credits on Peak Savings Days through the Peak Energy Savings Credit Program. Customers participate simply by saving energy during the specified hours—no enrollment is needed. Customers will receive a bill credit of $1.25 for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of reduced energy use below the customer’s average energy use on a Peak Savings Day. Customers will receive a phone call indicating the hours to reduce energy use, but they can also choose to be notified by email or text. Customers can see their energy savings on their next bill, or on the next day in My Account.

For Maryland and District of Columbia customers signed up to participate in Pepco’s Energy Wise Rewards® program, Pepco will cycle their air conditioners during this period. This means Pepco will cycle the participant’s air conditioner compressors off and on for short intervals during this time frame. Click resources for energy-efficient HVAC systems.

Because the air conditioner fans will continue to run, most customers will not notice a temperature change in their home. It may take up to a half-hour after the event ends for air conditioners to resume normal operations. We recommend consulting experts like air duct cleaning Minneapolis or doing regular ac repair and maintenance to keep your home’s air quality excellent.

Customers can learn more about Peak Energy Savings Credit by calling 1-855-730-PEAK or visiting www.pepco.com/peak. To learn more about Energy Wise Rewards call 1-866-353-5798 or visit pepco.com/rewards. For information about Pepco, visit www.pepco.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pepcoconnect and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pepcoconnect. Our mobile app is available at www.pepco.com/mobileapp.